Improvement in car-bumpers



J. ELDER. GAR-BUMPER.

` Patented March14, 1876.

N. PEYERS. PHOTOJJTIIOGRPMER. WASHINGTON. Dv C4 3 rrnn STATES JOSEPHELDER, OF BEARDSTOWN, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT VIN CAR-BUMPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,667, dated March14, 1876; application filed December 23, 1875.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ELDER, of Beardstown,l in the county of Cassand State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Friction-Platesfor Use on Passenger Railway Cars, of which the following is aspeciiication.

My invention relates to an adjustable friction-plate for forcingrailway-cars apart, so as to maintain them in a fixed relation to oneanother, and prevent the shook incident to starting and stoppingloosely-coupled trains.

My improvement consists in attaching to the friction-plate a stem,which,passing through the timbers Aof the platform, has a spiral threadformed on it to receive a nut placed between two of the cross-timbers ofthe platform, and may be turned to project or retract thefriction-plate, and 'also in combining with the said nut a plate whichtills up the opening in the platform, and at the same time engages thenut sobas to lock it.

In the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, Figure lshows a plan of the platform of two cars, cut away to reveal thefrictionplate and the operative mechanism. Fig. 2is a verticallongitudinal section, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of thefrictionplate and its operative parts.

The same letters are employed in the several figures in the indicationof identical parts.

I have shown that my invention is connected with the automatic couplingof Hein and Kocks patent, No. 165,826, but the latter forms no part ofmy present case, which is notlimited to any particular coupling.

In the annexed drawings, A A' are the platforms of two passenger-cars,and B B' are the draw-bars by which they are coupled. OO are thefriction-plates carried upon the bil'urcated bar D, which passes throughthe front timbers of the platform, embracing the pin E, which will notinterfere with the movement of the plate. The stem D passes also throughtwo plates, F F, attached to cr supported by the wooden frame of theplatform, so as to enable the friction-plate and its stem to support themomentum ofthe car and keep the train separated.

The bar D is threaded, and carries the hexagonal nut, G, which, whenturned by a wrench, G', forces the plate O away from the platform orretracts it, as it is termed, one way or the other. The wrench, when notin use, may be carried by dropping the handle through a hole in theplatform. The rear plate F may be supported against an elastic sheet ofindia-rubber, I, to impart to the action of the friction-plate a slightamount of elasticity.

A plate, H, is used to close the opening formed in the platform to giveaccess to the nut G. In orderthat it may also perform the functionY of anut-lock, a lug, H', formed to tit the polygonal nut, is fastened to theunder side of plate H, in such position that when the plate is inposition the lug will embrace the nut and prevent its turning.

The operation is readily understood: When the cars are coupled theplates H are removed and the nut Gr on each platform tur'ned until thehardened faces of the triction-plates O are forced into close contact,compressing the spring I, which causes. them to fit snugly t0-gether'and force the cars apart, so that in starting or stopping thereislittle or no check. The plates H are then replaced and the nuts lockedby the lug H'.

What I claim as my invention, and. desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In combination with the platforms of railway-cars, the friction-plateO, projected afterthe cars are coupled by the nut Gr to take up theslack of the coupling, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the friction-plate O,

.actuated by a nut, G, on its stem D, the

plate H H', performing the double function ot a cam and nut-lock,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH ELDER.

Witnesses:

PHIL. HIEN, THos. H. CARTER.

